For over two decades, adidas and Yohji Yamamoto have advanced a distinct vision of elevated sportswear. Now, as they introduce the first chapter of Y-3’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, the Three Stripes and the avant-garde designer turn their lens to the concept of Contra-Natural – a world in which the duality between the organic and the synthetic produces unexpected beauty.
For the first seasonal chapter, Y-3 proposes a progressive suite of apparel looks defined by daring cuts, sophisticated tailoring, and expressive silhouettes all highlighted by pieces adorned with a digitally distorted floral graphic composed from scans of real flowers, as well as workwear inspired elevated staples. The brand’s signature pantones are all present – Y-3 Black, Solid Gray, and White – complimented with Clay Brown, Mesa, Shadow Red, and Mint. An expression of the tension at the heart of the seasonal concept, the quartet of new colors takes inspiration from the process of oxidation, with nature taking over metal, turning rusty burgundy into an acidic mint. Continuing the first seasonal chapter’s defiant thematic pulse, accessories include a selection of soft leather tote bags, wallets, and card holders which feature the same distorted floral graphic.
From apparel to footwear, Chapter 1 focuses on expanding the brand’s array of adidas Originals icons, subverted through the lens of Yohji Yamamoto. New silhouettes include the Y-3 STAN SMITH and the Y-3 COUNTRY – made up in collapsible premium leather with piped details – and the Y-3 GSG9 LOW. Meanwhile the return of the brand’s most progressive silhouette to date – the Y-3 GENDO – is accompanied by the Y-3 KYASU in both low and high top executions, as well as the introduction of the Y-3 KYASU SLIP-ON which takes the silhouette’s minimal brick-like outsole and adds a stitched on prime knit upper.
Illuminating the launch of Spring/Summer 2024 Chapter 1 is an evocative campaign that dynamically captures strength and community through the eyes of London’s Bugeisha Club – an international collective of women and non-binary people with mixed Asian heritage who daringly merge unbridled creative energy with athletic prowess. Shot by Erika Kamano, with moving imagery directed by Francis Plummer and styling from Robbie Spencer, the seasonal narrative evokes a story of composure, poise, and restraint through the synergy of body, mind, spirit, and community. Spotlighting the tension between fluid movement and rigorous discipline, the coming together of highly creative and determined individuals features four of Bugeisha Club’s leading figures – Mana Kimura–Anderson, Becky Tun Pe, April Gunawardena, Lara Swift – adorned in the Y-3 Spring/Summer 2024 Chapter 1 collection.
A distinctive vision of uncompromising sporting elegance, welcome to the first chapter of Contra-Natural.
